


Unreality

by JS_89



Category: 30 Seconds to Mars, jared leto - Fandom, shannon leto - Fandom
Genre: F/M, three-way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 10:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11804070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JS_89/pseuds/JS_89
Summary: Jessie is an aspiring musician in a small town, when the Leto brothers stroll into her life and turn it upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the bands, songs or song lyrics used. I do not own any of the brands mentioned.

“Come on. We’re only here for one night and you know how I feel about Colorado girls,” Shannon begged his brother. Jared sighed. They had just gotten off stage from their tour stop at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, and his brother immediately jumped back into the argument they had been having before the show. “It’s like, twenty minutes to Denver. We can bar cruise for an hour and then bed.” Jared really just wanted to rest. His entire body was aching and his voice was damn near shot, but Shannon had been working hard lately between touring, recording the new album and working on his brand Black Fuel Trading Co., and Jared realized that he needed some fun. Hell, Tomo and himself could use a little too. The album, the tour, VMAs, iHeart Radio music festival and Camp Mars… the year had been jam packed for everyone.

“How about a compromise? We hit a bar in Morrison, and I’ll give you an hour and a half to prowl,” Jared said in his post-show gravelly voice.

“Done,” Shannon agreed, and they shook hands. They got on the bus and, on the 6-minute drive into town, washed up a bit and changed clothes. The bus driver parked on the outskirts of the town. “We might as well just walk into town. It’s smaller than three miles, according to Google,” Shannon said, looking at his phone. “Holy shit man. There must be only a dozen single women in this town.”

“Yes, and you will try to charm every one of them,” Tomo said with a smirk.

“Damn right,” Shannon replied, wiggling his eyebrows. They exited the bus and followed the main road until they came across a small bar. It was, as most people would say, a dive bar. From the vinyl booths with tears patched with duct tape, to the worn wood of the tables and bar. There were very few people in there. Some guys in their sixties sat at the bar talking amongst themselves, and a group of twenty-somethings were in the back playing pool. “Well, I found my people,” Shannon said nodding toward the back. He headed back there and Jared noticed the girls immediately flocked to him while the guys watched him wearily.

Jared shook his head and Tomo said, “Poor guys. Their night just got ruined.” They chuckled. He and Tomo took a seat at the bar and ordered drinks. Tomo got a beer, Jared just got a tonic water. The older gentlemen and the bartender paid them no mind. Jared was really only worried about the younger crowd Shannon was with. He loved interacting with fans, but it had been a long day and he was exhausted. As he turned on his barstool to inspect the bar, he spotted a small stage against the opposite wall.

“That would be a tight fit with a full band”, he remarked to Tomo, who nodded agreement. Jared remembered those days well. Playing anywhere and everywhere, as long as they got to play. As he sat staring at the stage lost in thought, a figure moved into his line of sight. It was a woman in what was clearly a man’s white button-down shirt, light-wash skinny jeans and black moto style boots. Her auburn hair was scooped up and loosely secured with a claw clip at the back of her head so tendrils of hair escaped and brushed at her shoulders. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties and she was pale. Not a sickly pale, but definitely pale. She was setting up an amp and a microphone on the small stage. She then turned to a guitar case and pulled out an acoustic guitar, which she proceeded to hook up to the amp. She pulled a stool up to the mic and took a seat, doing a sound check. As she was doing this, Shannon wandered over to where Jared was sitting and ordered a drink with the bartender before turning to lean against the bar.

“Looks like she’s a solo act,” Jared commented, still watching her sound check and tune her guitar. “How’s it going back there,” he asked, glancing to where the girls stood by the pool table, clearly watching Shannon but acting like they weren’t.

“It’s like fishing with dynamite man. These small town girls, so easily entertained,” Shannon said, shaking his head.

“So, you’re not interested,” Jared asked, hoping for a shorter night than expected.

“Oh, I didn’t say that,” Shannon replied, smirking.

“How old are those girls, man,” Tomo asked, leaning forward to see Shannon past Jared.

“Twenty-three and twenty-four,” Shannon said. He looked like the cat that ate the canary.

Tomo shook his head. “They’re babies, dude.”

“Then those are some hot babies.” Jared scrunched up his nose and looked at Shannon in disgust. “OK, yeah…. That came out creepy and weird.” They all nodded agreement. Just then, the girl on the stage cleared her throat into the microphone.

“Good evening. Before I start, I want to thank Jerry for letting me play here on a regular basis,” she said. Her voice was clear and confident, but not overbearing.

“Anything for my favorite bartender,” Jerry shouted from the end of the bar, giving her a thumbs up.

“The owner took the bar to let his bartender play. Now that’s a nice guy,” Tomo said quietly. Shannon and Jared nodded.

“Alright, I guess I’ll start now.” She chuckled nervously and started strumming chords on her guitar. “She sits alone by a lamp post, tryin' to find the thought that's escaped her mind. She says, ‘Dad's the one I love the most, but Stipe's not far behind.’…” Her voice was rich and pleasant to listen to.

“Wow…. Hootie,” Shannon said, before heading back to his adoring fans.

“Definitely a surprising choice,” Tomo said. Jared nodded and continued to listen. When the song was over, there was a spattering of applause from the people at the bar, while those in the back were raucously laughing amongst themselves about a shot one of the local guys missed. Then she began to play an Alanis Morissette song Jared hadn’t heard in years.

“Wait a minute man, you mispronounced my name. You didn’t wait for all the information, before you turned me away…” Jared watched her carefully. She was good. Too good for this place. He wondered what her story was. Turning, he caught the owner’s attention.

“What can I get for you, son,” the burly man asked.

“Well, sir, I was wondering what this girl’s name is,” Jared said, jerking his head in her direction. Jerry raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.

“Are you some music man?”

“We’re from L.A.,” Jared replied, hoping that was enough to get answers. It seemed to work. The man’s faced relaxed and he smiled cordially.

“Her name is Jessie.”

“Does she play here often?”

“On slow nights… which, if we’re being honest, is most nights,” the man replied, nodding.

“You said earlier she is your bartender…” Jared began.

“Yes well, she plays during her shifts. That way, she’s still getting paid. She’s a good girl and I’d hate to cost her money just because she’s doing what she loves in this tiny town. I let her keep the tips too,” he said, nodding at the tip jar on the counter and giving them a kind, but clearly expectant look. Jared chuckled at the man’s hint. He nudged Tomo, and they both pulled out their wallets and dropped a couple fifties in. Jerry’s face lit up. “That’s awful nice of you boys. She’ll be thrilled.” By now, she had moved on to another song. It sounded familiar to Jared, as he began to pay attention.

“The desert is calling, the emptiness of space, the hunger of the lion, is written on your face…”

“It’s End Of Days,” Tomo said quietly.

“Do you think she’s doing that on purpose,” Jared asked quietly. Tomo shrugged. She hadn’t shown any indication that she had spotted them, let alone recognized them. The bar was dimly lit and there was a light above the stage, which probably made it harder for her to see the audience. She did it beautifully. It was nice to hear someone perform a cover of one of their songs, and correctly convey the depth and emotion behind it. Her face was very expressive and you could tell how she was feeling with each verse. When she finished, she paused to get a drink of water from the glass from the table nearby.

When she sat back down, she said, “This next one is for couples. Sorry guys, your ladies might make you dance.” She smiled and began, “I found myself dreaming, in silver and gold, like a scene from a movie, that every broken heart knows. We were walking on moonlight, and you pulled me close, split second and you disappeared and then I was all alone…” Sure enough, the girls from the pool table were dragging Shannon to the small clearing in front of the stage to slow dance. Jared looked back to where they had come from, the girls’ dates were standing there grumbling to each other and throwing Shannon eye daggers.

“Oh Jesus, Shannon,” Jared groaned, shaking his head. Tomo laughed. When that song ended, she pulled her guitar strap over her head and leaned into the mic.

“I’m going to take a quick break,” she announced to the small group. She grabbed her glass off the nearby table and stepped around the people in front of the stage, not even glancing at Shannon. Shannon’s face was priceless, clearly expecting the same reaction from her that the other females had given him. Jared began laughing, and nudged Tomo as he pointed to Shannon. Tomo laughed too. Shannon flipped them the bird and continued to lap up the attention the two girls were giving him. Jessie, meanwhile, had wandered behind the bar to refill her glass of water. Jerry leaned toward her and mumbled something, while jerking his head in Jared’s direction. She glanced at them and nodded before striding down the length of the bar to where they sat.

“Uh oh, here it comes,” Tomo mumbled, clearly expecting some fangirling. Jared wasn’t so sure that was going to be the case. Jessie approached and leaned against the bar across from them.

“Jerry was telling me y’all were asking about me,” she said with a smile. Up close, Jared got a better look at her. She had a round face, with brown, almond-shaped eyes, a small pouty mouth and an average nose. Her skin was smooth and blemish free, but spattered with light freckles across her nose and cheeks, and when she smiled, her teeth were straight and white. She wore no make-up and could really only be described as an average amount of pretty. She was wearing small, flat round earrings with writing on them, and Jared spotted a gold chain underneath her shirt as she leaned against the bar.

“Yes,” Jared replied nonchalantly and with no elaboration. She raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between them. Tomo glanced at Jared with a questioning look before extending his hand across the bar to her.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Tomo,” he said politely as she grasped his hand and shook it.

“Nice to meet you Tomo. I’m Jessie. Although, you already know that apparently,” she said, glancing at Jared. He nodded. She then offered her hand to Jared, forcing him to do the polite thing and extend his hand as well. He was skeptical about her lack of recognition, but grasped her hand anyway, shaking it.

“I’m Jared,” he said, making and holding eye contact with her to see how she was going to react. She nodded politely and broke their shake.

“So, how was your show tonight, boys,” she asked, resuming her lean against the bar. _So, she does recognize us,_ he thought.

Just then Shannon walked up slapping Jared on the shoulder. “It was great. Hi, I’m Shannon,” he said extending his hand for a shake. When she grasped it, he turned her hand to place a quick kiss on the back of it. She laughed, but not in a flustered fangirl way. More in a what-a-horndog way. Jared laughed at the look on her face, but Shannon was unfazed. He released her hand and smiled broadly at her. She glanced at the girls he had abandoned, and chuckled.

“You let their dates have them back, huh,” she said laughing. Jared glanced over there as well. The guys were all smiles as they tried desperately to impress the girls, who were clearly dejected judging by the sullen look on their faces.

“Yeah, I like more of a challenge,” Shannon said, eyeing her.

“Oh really, because earlier you seemed super fucking interested…” Tomo began with a laugh as he dodged a swat from Shannon. Jared had been watching her face through the entire exchange. She seemed entirely unfazed by their presence and was laughing right along with Tomo like they were old friends. She caught Jared watching her and raised an eyebrow at him. He pulled his phone out and glanced at it then. It had almost been an hour and a half, but he wanted to talk to this girl a little longer, so he tucked his phone back into his pant pocket and looked back up at her. She had been watching him as he did this.

“Want another drink guys,” she asked, motioning at their empty glasses. Shannon and Tomo looked at Jared then, knowing it was almost at the time limit he had set earlier. Jared nodded and she went about getting them new ones and clearing away the empties. Tomo made a face to Shannon, clearly wondering what Jared was playing at and Shannon made a crude gesture behind Jared’s back to indicate sex. Tomo snickered. Just then, the couples from the back went walking past. The girls glanced longingly at Shannon as their dates ushered them out the front door. Shannon, meanwhile, was eyeballing Jessie. Tomo got up and smacked Shannon upside the back of his head.

“Let’s go shoot some pool, dumbass,” Tomo said as he picked up his drink and headed to the back. Shannon hesitated, clearly wanting to stay. “Dude, come on,” Tomo yelled from the table. Shannon huffed, grabbed his drink and left.

“Handful, isn’t he,” Jessie asked, laughing. Jared smiled.

“Yeah, but he’s a great guy.” She nodded her understanding.

“Well, I better get back to playing,” Jessie said, as she moved to go back down the bar.

“Hey, uh…. Listen….” Jared started. She paused and leaned back against the bar, waiting for him to continue. “We won’t be able to stay much longer, and since you’ve got to get back to work I was wondering if I could get your number?” Her eyebrows shot up her forehead, clearly surprised. She thought for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, then she nodded and smiled. She grabbed a napkin and a pen from behind the bar and scribbled down her number. As she slid it across to him, she smiled. “You’ll be hearing from me soon,” he said as he pulled his phone out and entered **Jessie (Colorado)** and then entered her number. Once he had saved it, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. By then, she had gone back around the bar and was sitting behind the microphone.

She began strumming and leaned toward the mic. “Does anyone have any requests? Or should I just keep going?”

“Blue,” Jerry yelled, again from the end of the bar. He had a mischievous grin on his face.

“Dammit, Jerry,” Jessie said. She glanced at Jared, looking almost apologetic. She did a two-fingered salute at her boss and began. “Blue, oh so lonesome for you. Why can’t you be blue over me…” It was Leann Rimes Blue, and suddenly Jared realized she was shy. The song was from Rimes’ first album, when her vocal style was still more yodel than pop. But she did it magnificently. Jared was impressed. Tomo and Shannon walked up then, looking at Jared and then back at her. They were impressed as well.

“Ballsy,” Shannon said. “I like her.”

“Yeah, me too,” Jared replied, getting up and motioning for the door. He was the last one out, and before he stepped through the threshold, he glanced back at her one more time. She was on the last verse of the song and her eyes were closed as she sang and played. The light directed at the stage made her glow and he smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same disclaimers as previously. I only own Jessie and her small world. None of the music, celebs or brands mentioned.  
> Short chapter ahead.

Jessie was closing up the bar later that night when Jerry came up to her. “Good show tonight, kid,” he said, patting her on the back.

“Thanks.” She smiled. Jerry was like family to her. Her parents had moved away to the east coast years before to be closer to the rest of the family. Jessie had stayed behind because, at that point, she was twenty years old and working to support herself. She talked to her parents several times a week, but it could be lonely having almost an entire country between you and your family. When she turned twenty-one, she left her kitchen job at a nearby fancy restaurant (for the tourists) she had held for nearly four years. She was having conflict with management there, and the day she quit, she came into Jerry’s bar for a celebratory drink. Jerry got to talking to her, and it turned out he had just had his bartender quit on him the day before. He offered her the job pretty much instantly and she accepted. She had been working for Jerry for about six years now, and thought of the man as family.

“Who were those fancy Los Angeles guys,” he asked as he helped her wipe down tables.

“Well, I don’t know how to explain who they are to you, Jerry. You don’t exactly keep up with popular culture,” she said with a laugh. He made a face at her. “Let’s see…. Well you remember that Suicide Squad movie I dragged you to?”

“Yeah. How could I forget? I had no idea what the hell I was watching.” She laughed at that. It had been pretty entertaining to watch his reactions. “That Harley Quinn though…” He let out a low whistle, and she laughed again.

“Well, the guy that played The Joker….” Jerry looked at her with a blank expression. “Green hair, Jerry.”

“OH! Right, sorry.”

“Anyway, the guy at the bar with the blue eyes….”

“The one that asked your name,” he threw in, nodding.

“Yes well… That was him.” Jerry stopped then, and straightened up. He tossed the towel in his hand down on the table he had just been wiping.

“You’re shitting me!”

She laughed at that. “I’m not!”

“We had a bonafide Hollywood star sitting at our bar and I had no idea!” He ruffled his hair with one hand, and shook his head, dazed.

“He’s a musician too. That’s why he was here. They did a show at Red Rocks today. Well…” she said, glancing at the bar clock and realizing it was near two-thirty in the morning. “Yesterday,” she corrected.

“Those two boys with him, they musicians too?”

“Yes. His brother Shannon is the drummer. That was Mr. Steal-Yo-Girl at the pool table. And Tomo is their guitarist.” Jerry just kept shaking his head as he picked up the towel and moved over to wipe down the next table.

“I’ll be….” He muttered to himself. She smiled and set about finishing her closing duties. When they were leaving for the night, about thirty minutes later, Jerry finished locking up and walked her to her car. He was carrying her amp and mic stand, while she had her guitar case and microphone case. After they loaded everything into her car she gave him a quick hug and said goodnight. The trip home was short. She lived just outside of town in a house by herself. It was small, and a rental, and all of her furniture was hand-me-down, but it was home. As she unloaded her things from her car and carried it all into the house (she hated making multiple trips) she thought about meeting Jared, Shannon and Tomo. And to think, if she had gone to the concert like she wanted to, she never would have met them. A lack of funds had actually benefited her, for once.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any celebs/songs/brands mentioned.

The next day, the guys were in West Valley City, Utah. Jared was hanging out on the bus tinkering on his computer, while Tomo and Shannon had gone out to explore the town. He glanced at his phone lying on the table beside him. He hadn’t texted Jessie yet. He drummed his fingers for a moment, thinking. Finally, he picked up his phone.

**Hey. It’s Jared.**

He hit send, and then set his phone down on the table and stared at it intently. After a couple minutes, it dinged at him and the screen lit up. He snatched it up and opened the text.

**Hi. How was your drive to Utah?**

**I slept through it. Uneventful. It was great meeting you last night.**

**Yeah. Jerry was thrilled, after I told him who you were lol**

**And you?**

**?**

**How did you feel about it?**

**I mean, obviously it was great. You guys are one of my favorite bands.**

**One of?**

**Oh yeah, top 5 at least. :P**

He laughed at that. She certainly wasn’t a bullshitter.

**Were you at the show last night?**

**Nope. Had to work. Needed the hours.**

He could respect that. Sometimes, he forgot what it was like living paycheck to paycheck.

**We’re finishing our tour soon. We’ll be back in LA Sept 26. If you want to, and Jerry is ok with it, I want to fly you out here. Maybe introduce you to some music people?**

There was a long gap between replies then. As he sat staring at his phone waiting, Shannon and Tomo came back onto the bus. “Hey little brother,” Shannon said, sitting across from him at the table. “You talking to that girl from last night?” Tomo nudged him, and Jared slid down a little bit so he could sit, as Shannon had put his legs up in the bench next to him.

“Yeah.”

“Woo man, I tell you what… Colorado girls,” Shannon said, mock fanning himself.

Tomo laughed and said, “Do you ever think without your dick?”

“Of course I do. But it’s been a while, man,” Shannon replied tersely.

Tomo nodded agreement. “Yes, indeed it has.” Finally, Jared’s phone dinged and he looked at the message.

**Wow. Idk what to say…**

“Is that her,” Shannon asked as he leaned forward and snatched the phone from Jared’s hands. He scrolled up and read the conversation thus far. “You want to fly her to LA?” He looked at Jared then in surprise. Jared nodded.

“Can I have my fucking phone back now, please?” Shannon tossed the phone at him and Jared snatched it out of the air. He had learned long ago to put the best cases and screen protectors on his phones. Shannon had broken a couple of them in the past dicking around. He glanced at Tomo who was looking at him expectantly. Tomo hadn’t seen the full text message, so he didn’t understand the context. “I want to introduce her to some music industry people. I think she’s talented and could be big.” Tomo nodded, but still looked perplexed.

“You’ve never, in all the time I’ve known you, tried to launch someone’s career like that,” Tomo said, watching his face. “So what’s really going on, man?” Jared scoffed.

“Listen, I really am just trying to help her out. She seems really nice, she’s talented and I mean…. Look at where she lives. She will never get an opportunity like this again. Put good out into the universe man,” Jared said.

“Ok. If that’s what you want to do, I support you,” Tomo said patting him on the shoulder before getting up. “I’m going to go back out and find a book store. I already finished the ones I brought.” Shannon had been staring at Jared, but at this he shrugged.

“Yeah, what he said,” he said nodding at Tomo. “Wait for me dude, I need to grab some shit too.” And with that, they both left the bus again. Jared shut his computer and got up. He changed into some less conspicuous clothes and got off the bus as well. He needed some air and he didn’t want attention. As he walked, he kept his head down and avoided eye-contact. He soon came across a bar and grill and wandered in. The older lady seating people didn’t recognize him, so no attention was raised as she sat him in a booth, away from the majority of the patrons, per his request.

“Can I get you anything to drink, hun?”

“May I please have water with lots of lemon in it?”

“Of course. Would you like to look at a menu?” Jared nodded and took the menu being handed to him. As she walked away to get his water, he pulled his phone out.

**If you’re really serious about music, the offer stands. You know how to get in touch with me.**

He hit send and tucked his phone away, opened the menu and began perusing it. By the time she returned with the water, he was ready to order. “May I please have the mushroom-quinoa burger with the garlic sweet potato fries?” The waitress nodded as she wrote it down and then took his menu and left to place his order.

Jared had eaten and returned to the bus that night with no response from Jessie. It wasn’t until 10 minutes before he was about to go onstage the next day that he heard from her again. He was backstage warming up both his vocal chords and muscles. High energy was coursing through him and he was getting even more hyped up by the sound of the crowd cheering. It was an unbelievable high. Better than any drug he had ever done. He was about to put his phone away and it lit up in his hand.

**I’m in.**

He grinned and put his phone away. Shannon walked up then and began to stretch his arms and legs. Jared was practically vibrating with energy now. That text had amped him up even more and he was rearing to go. “Dude, you’ve got crazy eyes,” Shannon said glancing at him.

“I’m just really excited,” Jared said, practically yelling and bouncing in place. “I’m going to go out there early and play with the crowd!” He darted up the stairs and ran across the stage. The crowd erupted into a ridiculous clamor.

“What the hell is up with him,” Tomo asked as he walked up. Shannon walked over to where Jared had stashed his phone and unlocked it. He found the text message and showed it to Tomo. “Ah. Well, there’s my answer.” He shrugged as Shannon put the phone away.

“Here we go,” Shannon said as he hit the stage stairs with Tomo on his heels.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same spiel. Celebs/bands/songs/brands, not mine.

Six days later, Jessie had made all the necessary arrangements to leave town for an unknown length of time. She and Jared had been communicating about travel arrangements for the last couple days and he was paying for everything. They had agreed she should stay with him so he could help her work on her music and she had talked Jerry into storing all her stuff for her while she was gone. Her landlord said she could sublet her rental to someone while she was gone and if it turned out she wasn’t coming back, she could sublet for the duration of her lease and they would consider her moved out. Jerry had been hesitant when she told him what Jared had offered. He spent days going over the pros and cons with her until she made her decision. He was sad but excited for her. They went out and got him a smart phone to replace his flip phone and she created a Facebook page for him, promising that these things would make it easier to stay in touch. Jerry drove her to DIA and gave her one last long hug and many well-wishes as she grabbed her bags and went inside. The flight was only about two and a half hours and when she got to baggage claim, Jared was standing there waiting for her. He was wearing a blue Harley-Davidson t-shirt that had been cut into a tank, white sweatpants with a red stripe down the leg, a pink trucker cap backwards and sneakers. She shook her head, he definitely stood out and she noticed people floating around him trying to take pictures with their phones and a couple paparazzi. She gave him a quick wave and he moved to help her with her bags and guitar case. The photographers swarmed them as soon as they realized he was there to get a woman. Jessie ducked her head and tried desperately to block her face as much as possible as she followed him out of the airport to a black Toyota. They loaded her belongings as quickly as possible and climbed. “Well hello there,” she said turning slightly in her seat to face him and smiling. He smiled back.

“How was your flight,” he asked as he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.

“Too short considering you put me in first class,” she said with a mock pout. He laughed. “But really though, that was entirely unnecessary. I have flown coach my entire life. You’re already doing so much for me,” she said as she sat back in her seat and buckled up.

“It was really no problem,” he replied. She saw him in her peripheral glance over at her. Maybe glance wasn’t the right word, because his eyes were off the road for a few seconds longer than a glance. She had dressed comfortably knowing that the humidity in California would be considerably higher than that of Colorado. She was wearing dark blue denim shorts, a high-low loose white cotton t-shirt and Mediterranean Blue Converse high-tops. She had thrown her shoulder length bob into a messy high ponytail and forgone make-up, as was usual for her. She shifted in her seat and turned her head to look out the window. “So, I was thinking we could drop your stuff off at the house, get you settled. You can wash up if you want to, and then we can go get some groceries. I forgot to ask you what you eat.” She glanced at him, unsure of how to answer that.

“Well…” she hesitated, aware of his reputation as a vegan, “I’m vegetarian for the most part, but I do occasionally still eat meat.” He nodded his understanding.

“I’m not going to force you to be vegan,” he said laughing. “I would encourage it though. You’re still young and it’s so much better for your body.” That she could agree with.

“Obviously it’s done wonders for you,” she said, motioning at him. He glanced at her again and smiled.

 “We’ll go get some groceries. And I will pay for it, just so we’re clear now.” She made to object and he waved her off. “I’m the one who came up with the plan to uproot your life, it’s the least I can do. Save what money you have for fun stuff. I want you to enjoy yourself as well as put in work.” She dropped it, knowing arguing would do no good. Jerry was the same way when it came to helping her. Once he set his mind on it, that was it.

“I’d be willing to try to go vegan,” she said after a while. “If it’ll make me feel and be healthier, I’ll give it a shot.” He nodded. After a while they pulled up to his house. They unloaded her things and he showed her to her room. It was decorated much like the rest of the house and he assured her, she could make herself comfortable. After unpacking, she stepped into the bathroom attached, used the toilet and washed her face and hands. When she emerged from her room into the main part of the house, Jared was sitting at his piano plunking aimlessly.

“Ready to go,” he asked, looking up. They went out to the car and climbed in. When they got to the grocery store, it was bizarre watching him get a cart and push it through the store. She began laughing when he started inspecting fruit in the produce section. “What?”

“Nothing. There is nothing funny happening. I’m just having the weirdest out-of-body experience right now watching you thump watermelons and check strawberries,” she said, nearly breathless. He gave her a lopsided smile.

“Do you like any of this stuff? I just got a craving for fruit.”

“I like pretty much all fruits and vegetables. There isn’t much from those categories I won’t eat,” she said as she picked up a peach and smelled it. He watched her do this and gave her a funny look. She quickly placed the peach back and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I like the smell of peaches, sue me,” she said with a shrug. He laughed. “I made a small list on the way over here,” she started, pulling her phone out of her small shoulder bag. “I’m just going to go grab some stuff, I’ll be back in a second.” She shot quickly up and down the aisles finding the things she needed. When she found Jared again, her arms were full. It was mostly care products. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush and paste, shaving products, etc. “I meant to ask if you have any kind of water filter at home? I pretty much only drink water, but I try to avoid tap water.”

“I have a filtration system on my pipes.”

“Awesome,” she said smiling. “As far as food goes, I’m down for anything.”

“I grabbed some fish and chicken for you. I didn’t know what else you might want as far as meat.”

“That’ll be good. Thanks. Oh, I have to have chocolate.”

“Don’t worry, I have stashes of the good stuff at home,” he said with a wink. They finished up and paid. Once they car was loaded, they headed back to the house. When they pulled up, Shannon emerged from the house. He opened her door for her and helped her out of the car.

“Well thank you,” she said smiling at him.

“Of course. How was your trip,” he asked as he pulled her into a hug.

She was caught off guard at first, but then said, “It was fine thanks. How was the rest of the tour?” He pulled back from her and walked over to help Jared with the bags.

“It was great. Love Brazil,” he said from the trunk. The evening was pleasant with Jared and Shannon taking turns at the piano, singing ridiculous songs and laughing at stupid jokes. They all worked on dinner, Jessie preferring to handle the meat herself since she would be the one eating it. The guys did salad, fruit and veggie burgers. Jessie roasted a small portion of chicken breast and some vegetables. When she pulled her pan out of the oven and set it on a cooling mat on the counter, Shannon wandered up behind her and plucked a piece of zucchini off the pan and popped it in his mouth. She glanced over her shoulder at him and he winked at her, smiling. He was being exceptionally charming and she shook her head and laughed. After dinner, Jessie did the clean-up. “Who likes doing dishes,” Shannon quipped from his seat at the table as she filled the sink with a few inches of water and soap.

“I happen to like it. There’s something orderly about cleaning up after cooking and a meal.” He laughed. Jared stood up and approached her.

“Orderly. Are you an orderly person Miss Colorado,” Shannon replied with another one of his charming smiles.

“I try to be in some things, and try not to be in others,” she replied with a coy look before turning to Jared and giving him a conspirator’s wink. The smile on his face said he knew she was playing with Shannon. As they washed dishes, Shannon walked over and picked up one of Jared’s acoustic guitars and began plucking at it, singing to himself. Jared was taking the dishes she handed to him and loading them into the dishwasher. After a while, he spoke.

“You look comfortable in a kitchen. Do you like cooking?”

“Yeah, I find it satisfying to cook a good meal. I worked in a kitchen for four years when I was younger. It was a good experience.”

“Can I ask, how old are you now,” Jared inquired hesitantly. She laughed.

“It’s alright. This crap about ‘you never ask a lady’s age’ is archaic. I’m 27.”

“It’s nice looking younger than you are, isn’t it,” Jared said with a grin.

“I’m in the club,” she replied. “With you, Shannon, Keanu Reeves….” He laughed. They finished up and headed into the living room. Shannon stood and offered the guitar to Jessie.

“Oh,” she said, surprised. As she took it, she looked over at Jared. He nodded.

“It’s why you’re out here,” Jared said, motioning for her to go ahead. She took it and sat down.

“What should I play?”

“Play anything. Whatever pops into your head.” She paused for a moment thinking. Their conversation about being orderly inspired her and she started strumming and singing.

“Do I stress you out? My sweater’s on backwards and inside out and you say how appropriate….” Shannon and Jared both chuckled. They passed the guitar around for a while, Jared and Shannon giving her pointers on finger placement, strumming, singing techniques. By the end of the evening, she felt like she was already learning a lot.

“I’ve got to head home guys, but I’ll stop by tomorrow,” Shannon said standing. He and Jared hugged briefly before he waved at her and headed for the door.

“Bye,” she said, waving back.

“Bye bro,” Jared said as Shannon shut the door behind him. Jared stood up and placed the guitar in its stand. It was about eleven o’clock, but Jessie felt wide awake. “I’m going to head to bed. Make yourself at home,” he said motioning to the house around him.

“Thank you. Goodnight.” After she heard his bedroom door click shut, she got up and wandered around. He had a lot of books lying around. There was, of course, instruments and musical equipment scattered around the house as well. He had pictures of the band from over the years, and pictures of him and his climbing buddies in various locations after conquering some climb. He had pictures of his mom too, which she thought was particularly sweet. Jessie wandered down the hall to her room and quietly shut the door. She pulled her phone off it’s charging cord and saw that she had missed calls from Jerry and her parents. She sent them a group text.

**Sorry I missed everyone’s calls. I made it safely and I will get in touch in a couple days. Love you guys.**

She plugged her phone back in and grabbed her laptop as she sat on the bed. Opening her laptop, she plugged in her headphones and decided to watch some Netflix until she was sleepy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spiel. I own Jessie. That's it.

Jared slept in a little bit the next morning, still recovering from the tour. He could feel the presence of another person in his house and it felt odd. He heard a laugh from the kitchen then, and decided to get up. Once he had showered and dressed, he walked out to the kitchen to find Shannon clutching Jessie in a bear hug from behind as he picked her up. She was clearly trying to hold back a yelp, but when she saw Jared, she let it loose. Shannon set her down and in a moment of Jessie focusing on Jared, snatched something out of her hand. Jessie glanced at him scowling as he grinned like an asshole, and then looked back to Jared. “We didn’t wake you, did we? I’m so sorry,” she said quickly.

“No, I was awake already,” Jared said walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge to get some orange juice.

“Jessie was just going to show me pictures of her in high school,” Shannon said, waving Jessie’s phone in the air. She scowled at him again.

“I really wasn’t though,” she said reaching for the phone. He held it out of reach.

“Oh? Let me see,” Jared said holding out his hand. Shannon quickly handed him the phone before she could grab it, but Jared handed it to her anyway, smiling at Shannon the whole time.

“Really? Dick move, bro,” Shannon said pouting. Jessie stuck her tongue out at him.

“Na na,” she said, stuffing the phone into the waistband of her shorts and tugging her t-shirt down over it.

“Like that’ll stop me,” Shannon said with a mischievous grin.

“I’ll kick your nuts into your throat if you go for the waistband of my pants,” she said smiling at him sweetly.

“Ohohoho,” Jared said, laughing. Shannon’s eyebrows shot up his forehead.

“Language, young lady,” he said, waggling a finger at her. She shrugged and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. She grabbed some fruit leftover from dinner and made a bowl for breakfast. Jared motioned that he would have some too and she filled a second bowl. As they settled at the table, Jessie and Jared with their fruit and Shannon with his coffee, Shannon said, “But really, let’s see some pictures.” Jared threw him a look as if to say, leave her alone.

“Listen, I was a different person when I was younger. When I moved back to the US, I changed into the firecracker I am now,” Jessie said laughing as she unlocked her phone and opened up the album of old photos. She hesitated and gave Shannon a warning look before handing him the phone.

“What do you mean, back to the US,” Shannon asked as he took it and began scrolling though the photos. Jared stabbed a strawberry half with his fork and brought it to his mouth as he watched her.

“I lived in Germany for ten years. From ninety-six to oh-six,” she replied, before she popped a blueberry in her mouth. “My dad worked for a company that contracted for the military. So, we were civilians who lived off base, but had access to the base facilities. Anyway, I loved it there. I would love to go back, someday,” she finished, with a dreamy look on her face. “But yeah, so… I was supremely awkward and shy as a kid.”

“Yeah, I would say,” Shannon laughed, showing Jared a photo from her phone. She was sitting at a computer desk, and wearing a worn green t-shirt and jeans with doodles and writing on them. She had dog chains around her neck and her hair had been cropped in an asymmetrical cut. Her smile was wide, but clearly uncomfortable and her shoulders were slumped awkwardly, further indicating how uncomfortable she was. Jared smiled and glanced at her. A small blush had crept into her cheeks, but she smiled genuinely.

“How old were you there,” Jared asked.

“Oh, maybe 16? Moving to the US kind of forced me out of that awkwardness because of the culture here being so much more…. Aggressive? Plus, going into the work force and dealing with people like that will really break you of shyness.” Just then, Jared’s phone started ringing. When he checked the screen, it was someone from the record label. He looked at Shannon.

“Interscope,” he said as he stood and answered it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *disclaimers*

Jared had been on the phone for about ten minutes when Shannon asked if she wanted to go for a swim. “Sure, just let me go change.” She got up to go to her room and changed into her blue high neck bikini. Then she headed back out toward the living room. When she got there, Jared was pacing around the coffee table listening to whoever was on the phone. He looked up at her and she suddenly realized she was standing in her bathing suit in front of Jared Leto. A flush ran up her chest and neck into her cheeks. She self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest. A ridiculous thing to do, but she did it nonetheless. Shannon came out of the hallway just then in a pair of black trunks. He pointed to them, and then did a thumbs up to Jared, which Jared returned before glancing at her one more time and returning his attention to his phone call.

“Had to borrow some of Jared’s trunks. A little snug,” Shannon said, tugging on them and giving her a significant look. She snorted and followed him out to the pool. “Now, are you an ease in person, or a jump in person,” he asked as they stood at the edge.

“Ease in. Definitely. Let me guess, jump in person?” She looked at him smiling and he nodded enthusiastically.

“And today… so are you,” he said before scooping her up and tossing her in before she could object. She curled up into a cannonball midair so she wouldn’t back-flop on the water. *SPLASH*

As soon as she broke the surface, she shouted, “AH FUCK!” Shannon was doubled over at the edge of the pool laughing hysterically.

“Your face,” he said as he clutched at his side. She smoothed her hair back and flipped him the bird with both hands. “Oh now, that is so unladylike. And that language, vulgar,” he said grinning. He took a couple strides back and got a small running start before also cannonballing into the water. She had moved to the edge of the pool and was clinging to the wall there. The waves created by him hitting the water lapped at her shoulders and gently shoved at her. She suddenly felt a hand wrap around her ankle and she kicked wildly. When he released her, she shoved off the wall and did a freestyle stroke to the other side of the pool. He emerged where she had been and looked around. “Ah, slippery thing you are,” he said as he paddled his way over to where she was. She pulled herself out of the pool to sit on the edge. While she was smoothing her hair back from her face, he swam up to her and grabbed her behind the knees, pretending he was going to yank her in again. “I’m just kidding. I got you already.” She looked down, he still had his hands on her legs. His hands were strong, and big. A tingle rushed up her spine and she involuntarily shivered. “Are you cold,” he asked suddenly.

“A breeze just hit me. I’m fine now though,” she lied.

“Hey, what are those of,” he asked pointing to her sides. She twisted to the left and pushed up the edge of her swim top slightly to uncover the rest of the tattoo. Just then, Jared stepped outside. He had changed into trunks as well. “Just in time, she’s stripping,” Shannon said, trying to keep a straight face.

“Oh, good,” Jared said smiling. She felt the flush creep up her neck again and smacked at Shannon’s shoulder. Jared lowered himself into the water and wet his hair. Then he swam over to where Jessie and Shannon were, to see what was going on.

“I still want to see,” Shannon said, nudging her leg. She moved the top edge again and showed them the realistic color tattoo running down her ribcage from about breast level to where her ribs stopped. It was beautifully detailed and she loved it.

“It’s the Hochzeitsturm building in the arts district of Darmstadt, Germany. Commonly called the wedding tower,” she said matter-of-factly. Shannon was inspecting it closely, but Jared was watching her face and she smiled at him awkwardly.

“And that one,” Jared said, pointing to the other side of her ribcage without breaking eye contact. She turned to the right and lifted that side. This one was just below breast level, about five inches long and ran along her ribs horizontally. It was a watercolor style tattoo of a mountain range.

“That one is for Colorado, my second home,” she said watching Jared.

“Where are you going to put your LA tattoo,” Shannon asked, drawing her attention back to him.

“LA tattoo?”

“Well, yeah. Third home.”

“If things work out, I’ll figure something out,” she said with a laugh.

“Things will work out,” Jared said suddenly. She looked to him again and held his gaze. His eyes were ridiculously blue. They looked very blue in pictures, but in person it was almost unreal. “Anyway,” he said, breaking eye contact and looking at Shannon, “did you throw her in the pool?”

Shannon grinned. “I sure as shit did.”

“Well, now you’ve been officially welcomed to the Leto household,” Jared said with a smile. They spent a couple hours hanging out in and around the pool before lunch time rolled around. When they were all ready to go back inside, Jared grabbed towels he had brought out for them and handed her one. She thanked him and dried off her feet, legs and hair before wrapping it around her body and excusing herself to her room to shower. When she finished, she threw on Panic! at the Disco t-shirt that had been cut into a cropped tank, medium wash distressed denim overall shorts and her Converses. Out in the kitchen, the guys had gone to pick up vegan tacos and were dishing up plates. She wandered over and picked up the plate Jared had made for her.

“What’s in these? They smell good.”

“Cauliflower tacos topped with slaw and avocado cream,” Jared said before taking a bite of one. She picked one up and took a bite as well.

“Holy shit this is really good,” she said around a mouth full of food. The brothers laughed at her. They sat at the table and ate. Jared and Shannon talked about the phone call Jared had taken earlier, and explained some of the industry terms to her when she got lost. After lunch, the guys had some errands to take care of and left, assuring her they would be back later. She spent the time checking her social media accounts and emailing friends and family to update them on things. After that was done, she pulled her guitar out and began tinkering. She was strumming and singing to herself when she heard someone step through the open doorway of her room. She leapt off the bed and just about fell over in the rush, before she realized it was Jared. “Holy crap…” she said, clutching her chest.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Jared said apologetically. He stepped toward her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t realize you were home. How long were you there?”

“Not very long.” She nodded.

“Did you want something,” she asked politely. His eyes had been looking around the room, but at that they focused on her. She felt his gaze sweep over her before it came back to her face. Her skin broke out in goosebumps.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to watch some T.V with me.”

She shrugged. “Sure.” She followed him out to the living room and sat on the couch as he turned on his T.V. and logged into Netflix. “Where’s Shannon?”

“He had something come up with his company, had to take care of it,” Jared said as he came to sit next to her. “Anything you would like to watch? I don’t really watch T.V. so….”

“Oh, ok. Well, do you remember back in the day, a show called Mystery Science Theater 3000?”

“That was around before you were,” Jared said laughing. “Yeah, I remember it.” She smacked his leg.

“Yeah well, they’ve rebooted it on Netflix. Let’s watch that.” He started it and they sat quietly watching it, laughing here and there at the commentary. She was sitting on the edge of the couch with her elbows on her knees, while he was leaned back with his head resting on the back, his hands clasped on his stomach and his legs straight out and crossed at the ankle. After the first episode, she sat up straight to stretch her back.

“You can make yourself comfortable you know,” he said when she glanced at him. He grabbed her overalls by the back and tugged gently, trying to get her to lean back, but then he sat up and brushed his fingertips across her shoulders. “Looks like you got a sunburn,” he muttered near her ear. She turned, pulling herself away from him gently and put her right hand up on her left shoulder. Sure enough, the skin there felt hot.

“Yeah, that happens a lot when you’re as pale as I am,” she said with an awkward chuckle. He got up then and went to leave the room. “Where are you going? Do you want me to pause?”

“I’ll be right back,” he said over his shoulder. A minute later he was walking back into the room with a bottle in his hand. “Do you have a bra on?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I think we should treat that sunburn,” he said, showing her the aloe gel in his hand.

“Oh, um… yes.” He sat down next to her again and she turned her body until her back was to him. As she undid her overall straps with slightly shaky hands she thought, _I can’t believe I’m_ _doing this_. She wiggled her tank top off over her head and sat there in nothing but a bra from the waist up next to Jared Leto.

“Your hair,” he said after a second.

“Oh, thanks.” She reached back and scooped her hair into a ponytail, securing it with a hair tie she had on her wrist. After another second, he set the bottle on the coffee table and she felt his hands on her shoulders massaging aloe into her sunburned skin. His hands were strong too, but where Shannon’s touch had been commanding, Jared’s touch was gentle, almost reverent. She took deep breaths, feeling almost overwhelmed by it.

“Are you ok? I’m not hurting you, am I?” She shook her head but didn’t say anything. He finished and she grabbed her shirt to hold it over her chest as she turned forward again. “You have a little burning on your face.” Before she could say anything, he had put a little blob on his finger tip and started rubbing into her forehead near her hairline, and then down across the tip of her nose and across her cheeks. She had to close her eyes with him this close to her face. She couldn’t breathe. When he stopped, she opened them again and he was watching her. Then he got up and left the room to put the bottle away. She just sat there, clutching her shirt to her chest and breathing heavily.

_This is almost too weird._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh* DISCLAIMERS  
> Celebs/songs/brands, not mine.

Jared washed his hands in the bathroom and then splashed water on his face. _What the fuck are you doing? You brought her here for a reason,_ he scolded himself. _Then again, you’re adults. And if she is consenting, sex is sex. You can still help her,_ another part of him said. He stood for a minute clutching the edge of the sink and staring at himself in the mirror. That logic was sound. He decided, if she made a move, he wouldn’t fight it. He walked back out to the living room. She was still sitting there clutching her shirt to her chest. She looked dazed and flushed more than just from the sunburn. Her skin had been soft and he had noticed she had on one of those bras where the cups stop just above the nipple. It was turquoise. He realized he had been standing in the same spot slightly too long daydreaming when she cleared her throat. “Sorry,” he said quickly. And sat back down next to her. He had missed half of this episode, but it was ok because he wasn’t paying attention anymore anyway. She was, again, sitting on the edge of the sofa. He laid there examining her back. There was a prominent freckle halfway down her back, just to the right of her spine, and some scarring just beneath her left shoulder blade. Suddenly, the front door opened and Shannon walked into the room. He stopped when he saw Jessie.

“What’s going on here,” he asked with one eyebrow cocked.

“Nothing,” Jared replied.

“Jared put aloe on my sunburn,” Jessie said, clearly still dazed.

“Oh, did he now? How helpful of Jared,” Shannon said in an amused tone as he sat down on the other side of her. He leaned back to where she couldn’t see him and gave Jared a thumbs up, pointing to the fact that she had her shirt off. Jared smiled and shook his head. “Is it still wet?” He leaned closer to her shoulder and touched it with his fingertips. “Kind of. Let me help you with that.” Shannon started blowing gently across the skin with aloe on it. Jared watched Shannon with amusement. Suddenly, a cold chill ran through her and she shivered. She shot up off the couch and excused herself to her room very quickly, mumbling something about she would be right back. Shannon slid over closer to Jared.

“You’re a dick messing with her like that,” Jared said as he kept his eyes on the screen. Shannon laughed.

“Oh, come on. You’re playing with her too. Your game is just more subtle than mine,” Shannon said, elbowing Jared’s arm and wiggling his eyebrows. Jared looked at him and laughed. “Listen, if you convince her first, try to work me in there.” Jared looked at his brother then. “What? It’s just sex. And it’s not like we haven’t shared girls before.” That was true. When they were younger and being stupid with the drugs and alcohol, they had shared a few conquests. But they hadn’t done that in years.

“Deal, but only if you agree to the same in reverse. If you convince her first, I want in.” They shook hands. Just then, she came into the room with her shirt back on and one side of the overalls done up. “You good?” She nodded but still didn’t speak. They watched a couple more episodes, and by the time the second one was over, Jessie had fallen asleep slumped over on Shannon’s chest.

“I gotta head out,” Shannon whispered as he gently shifted enough to slide out from under her and laid her down on the couch. Jared nodded and waved at him. After Shannon had carefully shut the front door, Jared slid closer to where her head was resting on the couch cushion. He gently shook her shoulder.

“Jessie,” he said in a voice just above a whisper. She made a small noise, but kept on sleeping. “Jessie,” a little louder that time. She bolted upright then and looked around. “Shannon’s just left and clearly you’re tired, let’s get you to bed.” She nodded, her eyes still bleary from sleep. He helped her stand up and navigate her way to her bedroom. Once she was safely seated on the bed, he helped her take her shoes and socks off. She then stood herself up and stripped off her overalls and tank top. That was when he realized, _She must still be asleep._ He watched in amusement as she kicked her overalls off her feet. And climbed onto the bed, her butt in the air. She was wearing boyshort underwear that were purple. Jared chuckled to himself. _If Shannon had helped her to bed instead of leaving her on the couch, he would be the one seeing this right now._ He was going to enjoy rubbing it in his face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celebs/songs/brands, not mine.

The next morning, Jessie woke up feeling very rested. Her phone told her it was 7, and she was afraid to start moving around in case Jared was still in bed. When she threw off the sheet, she realized she had slept in her bra and panties. _Wait, how did I even get in here? The last thing I remember was watching MST3K…_ And suddenly it dawned on her. _Shannon or Jared must have brought me in here. Did they strip me too? Holy shit how mortifying. I’m not even wearing matching underwear!_ She covered her face with her pillow to stifle a scream. As she rushed around throwing on shorts and the tank top she had worn the night before, she heard footsteps in the hall. _Jared must be up_. She stepped into her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth before quietly exiting her room. She found Jared lying on the outdoor couch by the pool messing with his phone. When she opened the sliding door and stepped outside, he laid his phone on his chest and watched her approach him. “Good morning,” she said, trying for nonchalance. He smiled at her.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?” He looked very amused and she could already feel the blush creeping up her neck.

“Apparently, like the dead. Being in the sun yesterday must have made me really tired.” She stood awkwardly for a moment, staring at her feet, trying to formulate her question gently. In the end, she went for blunt. “Did you or Shannon undress me last night?” She held his eye contact as he sat up.

“No, I helped you with your shoes. You did the rest on your own.” She sighed in relief, but then realized her was grinning at her and got nervous again. He cleared his throat and spoke again, “But I hadn’t quite left the room when you started undressing.” She felt her face go bright red then. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I have seen you in a swimsuit,” he pointed out. She stood quietly for a minute trying not to make eye contact. He stood up and moved toward her. “Besides, you have nothing to be ashamed of. From what little I saw, your body is great.” Her whole body felt like it was blushing at this point. Her breathing caught and her heart was pounding. “We’ll make it even,” he said stepping back from her. She watched with wide eyes as he stripped off his t-shirt and undid his shorts, stepping out of them. He was wearing grey boxer briefs and she had to force herself to look at his face and not his package. “Feel better,” he asked, as he stepped closer to her. He was grinning from ear to ear and it was infectious. She smiled back.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“No problem, anytime.” He walked over, picked up his shorts, and put them back on. After picking up his shirt, he slung it over his shoulder instead of putting that back on as well. “Let’s get breakfast.”

After breakfast, Jared went outside to make some phone calls while Jessie sat cross-legged on the couch playing with one of his guitars. She started playing one of the first songs she taught herself when she was eleven years old. As she was playing Jared walked in, but she kept going. He sat down and watched her. She locked eyes with him and kept going. “I still get lost in your eyes, and it seems that I can’t live a day without you, closing my eyes and you chase the thoughts away, to a place where I am blinded by the light, but it’s not right….” Shannon walked in at this point as well. He sat on the back of the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. “And when the stars fall, I will lie awake. You’re my shooting star.” With the last note, Shannon started clapping.

“Brava! Bellissima!” She laughed and dipped her head in a mock bow.

“Thank you, thank you.” Shannon walked around the couch and sat down next to her. “By the way, I’m sorry if I made an ass of myself last night while you were here. Apparently, I sleep walk now,” she said laughing. Shannon looked at Jared and then back at her.

“You were sound asleep when I left. Although, you had fallen asleep on my chest.”

“Oh my God, I didn’t drool, did I?” Her hand was over her mouth in horror and her eyes were huge. _That would be icing on the cake,_ she thought miserably.

“No. You were a perfectly ladylike,” Shannon assured her.

She laughed and said ruefully, “Apparently not so much. I guess I undressed in front of Jared.” At this, Shannon’s eyes got big and he turned to his brother.

“She was in her bra and underwear. Not entirely undressed,” Jared said, laughing.

“Jared was very nice when he told me about it this morning,” she said. And then turning her attention to Jared, “And I’ve been thinking about it and I feel stupid now for having reacted the way I did.” He shook his head.

“Don’t feel stupid. If you’re not used to being around hippies and our attitude about nakedness, I’m sure it can be a bit uncomfortable.”

“Well, I will work on it,” she assured them as she got up and put his guitar away. Shannon stood up and looked at Jared.

“About ready to go?”

“Yeah. Hey Jess, do you want to come with us? We’re going to the studio to, hopefully, finish up some stuff for the new album,” Jared said over his shoulder. She started bouncing up and down.

“Fuck yes I would! I’ll grab my bag.” She ran to her room for her shoulder bag and when she came back out to the living room, the men were standing together laughing about something Shannon was showing Jared on his phone. _That is too much pretty for one room,_ she thought, shaking her head. They spent most of the day at the studio tweaking tracks here and there. At around lunchtime, an employee of the label whose soul function was to serve the band, went out and got food for everybody. The guys ate as they worked. Jared was clearly meticulous about his vision for each song, but also open to Tomo and Shannon’s input. They worked great together and it was nice seeing the process. Jessie was on her phone checking Facebook when the guys finally came out of the live room. She stood to gather up her things when Jared gently grabbed her forearm and shook his head. Confused, she sat back down and waited while everyone else filed out of the room until it was just her and Jared. He sat down beside her.

“I brought you here today for a couple reasons,” he began with no preamble. “Firstly, I wanted you to see how this all works,” he said sweeping his arm to indicate the room. “Secondly, I thought we might record something for you today.” She sat in shock, absorbing what he was saying. “It would make it easier to sell you, so to speak, if I have something for people to hear.”

“I don’t have any of my material with me,” she said.

“That’s alright. We can record some of your covers today, and work in originals later.” She mulled this over. She knew he was right. Besides, it might be kind of fun. She nodded consent and he smiled. “Great. So just go ahead into the live room, you can use any of my acoustics. The black one is standard tuning.” She stood up and entered the room. It was bizarre but she saw Jared through the glass sitting at the mixing console and she felt grounded. She picked up the guitar and sat on a stool behind the microphone. Jared stepped into the room to help her adjust the guitar and vocal microphones to suit her height and then resumed his seat at the console.

“What should I start with,” she asked into the microphone.

“Whatever you would like,” he responded through the speaker. She took a deep breath, and began.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Jared. Oh, if only ;)

Jared and Jessie had spent hours at the studio laying demo tracks for her. He had occasionally had to give her pointers here and there, as she had never been in a studio before, but overall, she did well and he was impressed. She was very attentive when he would tell her something and never got frustrated about recording a part multiple times. She would be a producer’s dream to work with. On the way back to the house, Jared detoured slightly and took her to a quiet spot where they could see the lights of the city and get some fresh air. He pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road before stepping out and opening her door for her. They stood in silence for a while. “That was amazing, Jared. Thank you,” she said finally. He smiled.

“Of course. It’s what you’re here for,” he replied gently. She looked at him and smiled, and he realized he loved her smile. It was warm and kind. He didn’t see a lot of genuine smiling anymore, living in Hollywood. Or much of anything that could be called genuine. She turned to take in the view.

“The land of a billion lights,” she said smiling. He smiled as well. They stood for a while, leaning against the side of the car, taking in the view.

After a while, he said, “This place, this industry…. It will build you up to heights you never imagined, and tear you down again in the blink of an eye.” He saw her in his peripheral turn her head to gaze at his profile. She remained silent, but he knew instinctively that it was a thoughtful silence. He let her think. After a moment, she turned her face away and took a deep breath.

“If this is your poetic way of warning me, it’s not necessary. I’m aware of the risks. But I’m also aware of the rewards. And I don’t mean financial, although that would help my family and I out a lot. I mean, the experiences. The opportunities. I can be a voice for those whose voices get lost in the clamor…” She trailed off and he turned his head to look at her. She had crossed her arms over her chest and her eyes had gone glassy. She sniffled a couple times and swiped at her eyes. He let her collect herself before he spoke again.

“I have faith that you can handle it.”

“I have good people in my life. I’ll be alright,” she said glancing at him significantly. The realization that she included him in that statement, overwhelmed him to the point of not being able to breathe. Without realizing what he was doing, he had moved to stand in front of her. Her eyes were wide and expectant. The breeze lifted stray strands of hair and blew them gently across her face and neck. By the light of the moon above and the city below, she looked ethereal. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?” Her face was full of concern as she dropped her arms to her sides and stood up straight. When he didn’t respond, she reached up hesitantly and brushed her fingertips across his forehead, pushing the hair out of the way. She then proceeded to lay the back of her hand to his forehead.

“What are you doing,” he asked gently.

She smiled ruefully and dropped her hand back down to her side. “Sorry. You’re acting weird. I thought maybe it was a fever.”

“That’s a weird assumption,” he said with a chuckle. She shrugged. She reached up again, more confidently this time, and tucked a bit of hair behind his ear. The movement made him smell the hand lotion she had put on at the studio. It was a lavender chamomile scented lotion that smelled amazing. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her fingertips trail down his cheek to his beard.

“This mountain man look works for you,” she said, breathlessly. “Although, if we’re being completely honest, every look works for you.” He felt the corners of his mouth tug up slightly and he opened his eyes.

“Is that right?” She nodded silently and then did the unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life stuff has been happening that is giving me writer's block, so I apologize for the delay. In the meantime, I stumbled across an article about Jared selling his Hollywood Hills home.  
> http://variety.com/gallery/jared-lets-sells-hollywood-hills-home-for-51000-above-asking-price/#!1/jaredleto_hhs1/


End file.
